Medicare for All

February 1, 2021

Physician and activist El-Sayed, author of Healing Politics and host of the podcast America Dissected, collaborates with physician and policy adviser Johnson to create a robust guide for those wanting to explore and investigate both the ongoing conversations around Medicare for All (M4A) and how health care is intertwined with politics. This book, which features a straightforward Q&A format, covers the proposed program as well as the arguments for and against without oversimplifying the magnitude of the discussion. The narrative is balanced and nuanced, despite the political rhetoric surrounding Medicare for All. Whether personally for or against it, readers will find that El-Sayed and Johnson have created a well-reasoned primer for those unfamiliar with the details of the proposal by showing how it is different from Medicaid, and how it would affect not only patients, but doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. The book includes impassioned forewords by Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. VERDICT This practical account offers a straightforward rundown of suggestions and solutions for anyone wishing to learn more about public policy in the Unites States and why Medicare for All is such an important topic. It will especially peak the interest of anyone drawn to policy reform.--Rachel M. Minkin, Michigan State Univ. Libs., East Lansing

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2020
A guide to the policy, politics, and potential of health care for everyone. This book addresses significant questions that have bedeviled the American electorate for more than two centuries: Is health care a collective right? Should the government guarantee comprehensive coverage to its citizens under a single, publicly funded plan, or is a market-driven system more amenable to the public? El-Sayed, a physician, epidemiologist, and former health director of the City of Detroit, and Johnson, a resident physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, address these concepts as they apply to the "Medicare for All" proposition, uncovering its history and the nature of the policy through its design, implementation, and financing. The writing is passionately strong and candid, featuring a sense of balance and connect-the-dots scrutiny that conveys a well-rounded appreciation of the subject matter. The authors identify the key problems of the existing system, including expense, monopolization, lack of oversight, and the undermining of the doctor-patient relationship--all of which are the hallmarks of a system dominated by pharmaceutical and insurance companies and the hospital industry. The authors advance the notion that individual health care is crucial to our societal health, and they dissect the strengths and weaknesses of the Medicare for All proposal, which would offer comprehensive coverage, greater efficiency, and public accountability. There are few easy answers regarding its implementation, particularly in a politically charged atmosphere in which questions of abortion and immigration are on the front burner. Regardless, an awareness about the ins and outs of the Medicare for All system is a good start, and the authors demonstrate the need for a grassroots movement to generate a more informed electorate and thwart the disinformation and outright lies that permeate any discussion of health care. The book also features forewords by Bernie Sanders and Pramila Jayapal. Cuts through the fog of health care complexity to offer a cleareyed picture of a fairer, more sustainable system.

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